Cooking in Grandmother's Kitchen

Some of my fondest childhood memories came from helping Grandmother in her west Tennessee kitchen.
Grandmother never allowed my mother in the kitchen when she was a girl, but when I came along, grandmother was more than willing to have a little (and sometimes messy) helper by her side. She didn’t seem to mind when I dragged all the pots and pans out to play with them in the floor, and she never minded a little bit of a mess.
I’m sure if I had sprayed cake batter on the ceiling, though, that my play time in the kitchen probably would have ended rather abruptly.
But I’m sure that at times I was more of a hindrance than a help, she rarely fussed at me. I think she enjoyed being able to pass the love of cooking on to another generation. Many of my recipes today came from grandmother’s kitchen. Although she was horrible at writing down the exact amounts, I remember enough to muddle my way through frying okra or squash or making homemade biscuits.
All of this came to mind when reading a comment from a Second Helping blog reader who suggested that I ask people to remember their favorite childhood recipe. The reader remembers her mother making Congo squares that contained large chunks of chocolate.
My favorite recipe from childhood was grandmother’s chocolate pie. She usually made one every Sunday morning before we went to church. I’ve only attempted making one chocolate pie, and it wasn’t quite as good as grandmother’s pie. Two months after I made the pie, I finally found her old recipe. I still have some tweaking to do before I can share it with the readers. I’m still trying to decipher some of her handwriting and measurements.
If you have recipes or want to ask other readers for help in finding a childhood favorite, drop me a line on the Second Helping blog at leighwright.blogspot.com.


The Incredible Egg
Not only is May the month proclaimed for hamburgers and barbecue, it’s also National Egg Month.
The American Egg Board sent along these trivial facts:
n A hen needs 24 to 26 hours to produce an egg. After she lays the egg, the hen begins her production process just 30 minutes later.
n Eggs contain 13 vitamins and minerals, unsaturated fats and antioxidants, for just 70 calories.
n A cooked egg will spin easily while a raw egg will wobble.

Scrambled egg
and chicken wraps
3 eggs
3 tablespoons skim milk
3 plain or flavored flour or whole-wheat tortillas
Cooking spray
1⁄2 cup (about three ounces) chopped cooked chicken
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa or taco or pizza sauce (depending on your taste)

In small bowl, beat together eggs and milk until blended. Set aside. Heat tortillas according to package directions and keep warm. Evenly coat a 10-inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet with spray. Over medium heat, heat pan until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add chicken or chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in reserved egg mixture.
As the mixture begins to set, gently draw inverted pancake turner across bottom and sides of pan, forming large soft curds. Continue until eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly.
Spoon about 1⁄3 cup scrambled eggs into center of each warm tortilla. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Top with salsa to taste. Add additional toppings as desired. Roll up tortilla.

Leigh Landini Wright, The Paducah Sun’s features editor, can be contacted at 575-8658 or llandini@paducahsun.com

Smoothie help

Imagine my surprise when Little Squirt perked up from his perch in the back seat on an evening ice cream outing and politely told me, "No, Mommy, I don't want ice cream. I want a Strawberry Smoothie." Of course, I confess that we were staring at the Sonic menu when he told me this. We ordered the smoothie, which Little Squirt proclaimed as "delicious" and went home.

As much as I enjoy an evening outing to Sonic, the cost can add up quickly. So I decided to make the smoothies at home in my blender. I bought the strawberries, vanilla yogurt and milk and tried to replicate Sonic's recipe. For whatever reason, Little Squirt decided this morning that he really didn't want to drink the smoothie I prepared. He preferred Sonic's version, which I'm sure is loaded with more fat and sugar than anyone really needs. By the way, I tasted the homemade smoothie, and it seemed fine to me.

So, do any of you have good kid-proven recipes for smoothies?

Happy Birthday

Next time you reach across the table for that iconic bottle of hot sauce, be sure to say "Happy Birthday."

Tabasco sauce, that red hot set-your-mouth-ablaze pepper sauce, celebrates its 140th birthday this year. Created in 1868 in Avery Island, La., the sauce is made from peppers grown on the island and mixed with salt derived from a natural salt deposit.

Celebrate the milestone with this recipe:

Creole Jumbolia
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound fresh, pure pork sausage, removed from casing
1 fryer chicken (3 1/2 pounds to 4 pounds) cut into serving pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons original Tabasco sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break the meat up, until all pink has disappeared or 5-6 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Season the chicken pieces with the salt. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the chicken and brown evenly on all sides. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully drain off any excess oil that has accumulated in the pot.

Add the sausage, rice, tomatoes, broth and Tabasco sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed or about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve warm from pot.

Celebrate the Season

Did you know May is National Barbecue Month?
Or that it’s also National Hamburger Month?
Seems as if these days, a special month or day exists to celebrate everything, especially food. The only thing that could be better about this month’s combination would be if it also included ice cream. That dessert has its day in July.

Saving money at the store

If you’ve been to the grocery store or the gas pump lately, you feel the economic pinch. And that pinch probably causes many of us to decide to forgo the restaurant and eat at home.
With simple menu planning and smart shopping, you really can save money and time.
I found these tips in an e-mail from the California Walnut Board. True, the publicists promoted the benefits of walnuts, but these tips are good for every occasion.

Shop for staple items in advance. Watch circulars for sales and stock up when the price is right. For instance, Kroger runs 10 for $10 sales occasionally on frozen vegetables and pantry items.
Eat seasonally. When fresh fruit and vegetables are available from local farmers, stop by their stand or a farmers market.
Look for nutrient dense foods. Junk food offers empty calories, and that convenience usually comes with a higher price tag at the store.
Control portions. True, this sounds like diet tips, but by eating less, you’re saving money, not to mention calories.

A meal for a houseful of kids for $10.50? Yes, really ...
Try this one:
Grilled Taco Chili Dogs
Yield: 8 servings
1 pound (8 to 1 package) hot dogs
1 (15-ounce can) chili with meat but no beans
1/4 cup mild or medium taco sauce
8 taco shells
1 cup shredded taco flavored cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely sliced crisp lettuce

Grill (or broil) hot dogs 6-8 minutes over medium heat. Turn often and continue to cook until hot throughout and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. In a small saucepan, stir chili and taco sauce together. Cook over low heat until bubbly. Place one hot dog in each taco shell. Top hot dogs with 2 tablespoons chili mixture. Sprinkle with cheese, tomato, onion and lettuce, packing ingredients down to ensure all ingredients fit into shell.

New in the dairy aisle

New product alert: Cool Whip now comes in cans as well as the familiar tubs. Varieties are regular, extra creamy and lite and will be on store shelves just in time for Memorial Day.


Some fun facts about this American favorite:

Oklahoma City ranks as the No. 1 city in per-capita consumption of Cool Whip whipped topping.
The topping was first introduced in 1967.
During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, sales of Cool Whip provide enough of the white fluffy stuff to top 2.2 billion slices of pumpkin pie.

Leigh Landini Wright, The Paducah Sun’s features editor, can be contacted at 575-8658 or llandini@paducahsun.com

Strawberry Season

The most glorious time of the year has arrived — strawberry season.

I had wondered if all the nasty, cold and wet weather earlier this spring had derailed this year's crop. According to Hardmoney grower Danny Garrett, the answer is no. Although not as sweet as in the past, he says this year's crop is filled with flavor. And with any luck from Mother Nature, sunny days could help to sweeten the crop. He has a stand at the Farmers Market downtown and at his farm on Hardmoney Road.

I'm planning sweet strawberry recipes for next week. Please send along your best recipes for pies, cakes or anything strawberry related. As always, feel free to leave comments with your recipes.

Farmers Markets, strawberries and a recipe: This week's Second Helping column

Considering the high price of groceries these days, you might want to check out one of the many farmers markets opening across the region in coming weeks.

Paducah’s Downtown Farmers Market opened last week. Vendor Danny Garrett said produce growers like himself appreciate the ability to rent a booth cheaply while the city provides advertising. “It’s a fun place,” he said. “People like to come down there.”

He plans to set up a booth later this month to sell strawberries.

Farmers Market locations include Murray on Saturday mornings on the court square and Golconda, Ill., on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon. Other communities also have farmers markets or roadside stands. Some farmers also set up shop in their front yard to hawk fresh produce.

Good ol'Red Berries

Strawberries might be the only thing that enjoyed the nasty wet weather this spring.

The red berries should present a good crop if early picking is any indication, said McCracken County farmer Danny Garrett.

The first picking on Saturday yielded 75 gallons, and he anticipated finishing Monday with 200 to 250 gallons at his Hardmoney Road farm.

“The weather was bad, but it wasn’t bad for strawberries,” he said. “Last year, we had the freeze. This year, it stayed cold all winter long. The flavor is excellent.

They’re not as sweet as they will be.”

And since strawberries are in season, send me your best recipes to use this beautiful (and nutritious) homegrown favorite. Send to llandini@paducahsun.com or leave comments on the Second Helping blog at www.paducahsun.com.

Breakin' Out Bikinis

Summer looms around the corner, and that means time to dare to bare in a swimsuit. Campbell’s Kitchen wants to help people find healthy recipes that fit in with popular diet programs.

By signing up online at www.campbellswellness.com, people can access an inbox filled with healthy recipes and diet tips each week. The first issue features recipes for garden vegetable soup and savory vegetables.

Don't Miss the Midday

When you’re busy, it’s tempting to skip lunch and keep working. The habit tends to lead to overeating later in the day. I found a healthy lunch recipe that could be prepared in advance. It’s a tad garlic heavy, so you might want to pop in a piece of sugar-free gum or risk your co-workers’ wrath in the afternoon.

Turkey Veggie Wrap
1 cucumber
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1 teaspoon finely chopped roasted garlic
2 (11x7-inch) multi-grain flatbreads
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, washed, stems removed
8 ounces sliced deli turkey breast
4 (1-ounce) slices reduced fat Swiss cheese
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

Instructions:
Use a vegetable peeler; peel 6 thin lengthwise ribbon-like slices from cucumber. Set aside.
Combine sour cream and garlic in small bowl. Spread 1 side of each flatbread with sour cream mixture.
Top each flatbread with 1/2 cup spinach leaves, 3 ounces turkey, 2 slices cheese, half of carrot, half of bell pepper and 3 cucumber slices.
Roll up starting at 11-inch side; cut each wrap in half. Secure with toothpicks.
Nutritional facts: 240 calories; 7 g fat; 45 mg cholesterol; 750 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrates; 8 g dietary fiber; 26 g protein.

Leigh Landini Wright, The Paducah Sun’s features editor, can be contacted at 575-8658 or llandini@paducahsun.com

Home on the Range

So how does a New Jersey-born and bred chef end up in Metropolis, Ill.?

Jon Kell, the new executive chef at The Range Steakhouse at Harrah's Metropolis Casino, told me how during a recent media event (i.e. free lunch). His father, also a Jersey native, met and married a woman from Livingston County. They bought a farm in Livingston County, but his father traveled often for business. The couple later divorced, but his father loved the farm and bought his half. Jon attended the University of Kentucky, where he met his wife, and they also fell in love with the natural beauty of the farm. When they told his father that they wanted to marry at the farm, he told them they could come down on weekends from Lexington and work the land to get it into shape for the ceremony. After they married, Kell worked at Cynthia's in downtown Paducah. Later, the couple decided to move to northern Kentucky, and Kell saved enough money to open his own restaurant, Wildflour Tapas and Bakery, in Newport, Ky., a Cincinnati suburb.

Kell described the early days of the operation when it amounted to a little more than a dorm-like kitchen. When he sold it, the restaurant had grown in size and reputation. He collected honors from Cincinnati Magazine for "Best Tapas" (or small plate), CityBeat Magazine for "Most Eggselent Adventure (Best Brunch)" and Friends of Covington for "Best Coffee." Although Kell loved working and owning his own restaurant, he decided he needed a change when he and his wife began their family. They talked about options for communities in which to raise a family. He laughed and said he wanted Philadelphia. His wife, though, chose Paducah.

Kell found a job at Harrah's that satisfied his wife's desire for a small-town setting for their family and his desire to continue his passion of the culinary arts.

Not only were we treated to good conversation, we also sampled some of Kell's creations. He demonstrated a blackened grouper dish and made it look easy enough anyone could do that in his or her own kitchen, flames and all. I shot video of his "entertainment" but you'll have to come back to our Web site on Wednesday to check it out.

I'll have more about Kell's dishes in next week's Taste.

If you have ideas or recommendations for stories for Taste in the future, please let me know. Feel free to post comments.